About Phases

Our Phases

School is divided into 4 phases and these are:

Foundation Stage - these are our youngest children in the school. The nursery takes children aged 3 and 4 and is also known as F1 (Foundation 1). We have three key worker groups: the bear cubs (Mrs Koovitz), the lion cubs (Mrs Allen) and the panda cubs (Mrs Smith/Mrs Harris). Reception children are aged 4 and 5, also known as F2 (Foundation 2). It was also known as Rising Five. It is called 'Reception' because this is the year when children are received into statutory education. Our classes are called the Foxes (Miss Brown) and Tigers (Mrs Harris and Mrs Smith).

Key Stage One - these are our year one and two children. Many years ago, these were known as the Infants. Year one children are aged 5 - 6 and we call them bumblebees (1CG - Mrs Cosgrove & Mrs Gutteridge) and dragonflies (1G - Mrs Greenhill). Year 2 children are aged 6 - 7 and at Granby we call them Butterflies (Mrs Payne - 2P) and Ladybirds (Miss Lawrence - 2L).

Key Stage Two - these children used to be known as the Juniors. We divide this part of the school into two parts:

Lower Key Stage Two - these are the 7 - 8 years olds in Year 3; and the 8 - 9 year olds in Year 4.

Upper Key Stage Two - are the children in years 5 and 6 who are 9 - 10 years old and 10 - 11 years old respectively.

Our Learning Partners:

Throughout the school, you will hear children talking about learning partners, talk partners, buzz partners or talking triads. These terms are all used to refer to ways in which children talk to their peers about their learning. They are encouraged to articulate their learning which not only practices their speaking and listening skills, it also boosts their confidence before speaking in a larger group. At the same time, the learning which has taken place is reinforced and strengthened.

This is based on work by psychologist Lev Vygotsky and his theory of scaffolding. He found that a scaffold is a temporary framework that is put up for support and access to meaning; and is taken away when the child secures control of success with a task. It is linked to his work on the zone of proximal development (ZPD) - the difference between what the learner can do with help and what they can do without.

Learning partners are changed either on a weekly or two-weekly basis. Children do not choose their learning partners, but over the year, they are likely to have worked with every child in the class. It supports the R time programme which aims to ensure that children are supported and enabled to work with all children (rather than only ever working with their friends). This helps the children in building relationships, supports the transition to secondary school and, of course, equips them for the workplace in the future.